NYCReview
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There are so many angles for an opening gambit to a review of Brighton Beach's famed Tatiana Restaurant & Night Club. We could go with the fact that for most New Yorkers, "dinner and a show" means a semi-overpriced Italian joint and a revival musical somewhere in the West 40s, not a Russian banquet, fire throwing, and line dancing. Or we could talk about how a meal at Tatiana is akin to a blind taste test, given that you can't really see what you're eating about 80% of the time a dish is served. Or we could discuss how the Wall of Fame down by the bathrooms has over 40 framed pictures featuring Oksana Baiul and that guy from one of those movies.
So to avoid having to make a choice, let's just go with all of the above. Tatiana will provide one of the most bizarrely entertaining nights you'll have in a town full of bizarrely entertaining options. Bordering a stretch of the boardwalk, Tatiana's outdoor seating spills out onto the strip. But the main event takes place inside, where your meal is accompanied by a very home-cooked show featuring dancers, singers, and trapeze artists. How many dinners have you been to that ended with a light show and unison clapping from the entire dining room? We thought so.
And then there's the food—which essentially serves the purpose of letting you drink without getting the spins. You can come and order à la carte, but this place is known for its banquet-style meals ($80-$105 per person). You'll need numbers for this option, so round up your closest and least judgmental friends. Here's a litmus test: Anybody who is embarrassed at karaoke is out; Anybody who runs to the center of the wedding dance floor to lift the bride on a chair despite not knowing anyone there is in. Head for Little Russia, and prepare to sit back and be served platter after platter, worrying less about the menu and more about the people dancing inside giant picture frames.